Make-Do Mondays, as you may recall from last week’s post, is to be hosted by Shari at My Practically Perfect Life. I’m no longer the hub, but I do have a small make-do idea to share and link to the carnival.Back in August, I posted a photo of my make-do plastic bag dryer—a crock full of utensils on which I can hang the bags.But I have yet another plastic bag dryer I can set up when we’re rinsing out a lot of bags all at once. I got this idea from a magazine like Better Homes and Garden or Real Simple. Can’t remember which. I keep all the wooden chopsticks from our Chinese takeout and pop those in the holes of a retired toothbrush holder.Two or three sticks can fit in each hole, allowing for lots of bag-drying “racks.”This make-do set-up is kind of cute and very handy.I almost donated the toothbrush holder to Goodwill. I’m glad I didn’t. When I saw this make-do solution, I was able to start using it right away.This, along with the utensil crock dryer, allows us to get several uses from each bag.For more make-do ideas, visit My Practically Perfect Life!

Here at the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome. Recipes are enjoyed, but you can write about swallowing a bug on a recent bike ride or the Nutella commercial you just saw on TV.In other words, the Food on Fridays parameters are not at all narrow. I think of it as a virtual pitch-in where everyone brings something to share; even if the content of one item is unrelated to the rest, we sample it all anyway and have a great time.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button (the big one above or the new smaller option at the bottom) to paste at the top of your post and join us through Mr. Linky.Here’s a Mr. Linky tutorial:

Write up a post, publish, then return here and click on Mr. Linky below. A screen will pop up where you can type in your blog name and paste in the url to your own Food on Fridays post (give us the exact link to your Food on Fridays page, not just the link to your blog).You can also visit other people’s posts by clicking on Mr. Linky and then clicking participants’ names–you should be taken straight to their posts.Please note: I return when possible during the day and update this post by hand to include a list of the links provided via Mr. Linky. If I can’t get to the computer to do so, you may access them all by clicking on the Mister Linky logo.

I couldn’t believe my eyes—the other day I saw a Nutella commercial on American television! It’s a pretty boring commercial, but still.

It’s Nutella!

In the USA!

The mom in the commercial tries to make it sound sort of healthy:

“As a mom, I’m a great believer in Nutella, a delicious hazelnut spread that I can use to get my kids to eat healthy foods. I spread a little on all kinds of healthy things, like multi-grain toast. Every jar has wholesome, quality ingredients, like hazelnuts, skim milk, and a hint of delicious cocoa. And Nutella has no artificial colors or preservatives. It’s quick. It’s easy. And at breakfast, I can’t use all the help I can get.”

Her narration made me laugh. They’re trying awfully hard to make it sound good for you.

We’ve loved Nutella for years. My husband grew up in Belgium familiar with Nutella. I married into it. From our honeymoon on, I sought out Nutella and enjoyed it in and on many things.

We like Nutella in crepes.

We like Nutella on French bread.

We like Nutella as a dip for apples or bananas.

We like Nutella on “all kinds of healthy things, like multi-grain toast,” like the Nutella mom says on the commercial.

We like Nutella with just about anything.

And believe it or not, in spite of what this list suggests, we eat Nutella in moderation. A little goes a long way.

I’ve been asked to help provide some of the content for HighCallingBlogs.com (HCB). Sometimes I’ll submit a post of my own (written especially for HCB), and sometimes I’ll point readers to great material published by a High Calling Blogs member. The overall topic I’m focusing on is the high calling of raising family.This week, I was pleased to introduce a post written by Jennifer of Getting Down with Jesus, entitled “The Questions.”Jennifer snuggles down under a quilt with her seven-year-old daughter as they turn the pages of their Bibles. They explore the tough questions that come up when they read the scriptures. Instead of suppressing those questions or dismissing them with easy answers, she welcomes them, wrestling with them alongside her daughter. Together they seek to understand and try “to find peace in the pieces—knowing God fits it all together with wood and nails on Calvary.”Please visit today’s post at High Calling Blogs and click through to sit with Jennifer and her daughter. When I read her post, I was inspired to dig deeper than ever with my kids into the hardest, most confusing passages. As Jennifer warned, “Silent questions breed doubt.”She also pointed out that “[i]t’s easier to ask the questions when you have someone right beside you.”I want to be that person next to my kids. I want to be the one who welcomes the questions.

Our eight-year-old boy was playing goalie at last weekend’s soccer match. He stopped a couple of balls and was congratulated by some of the boys on the team each time. As he hurled the ball back into play, they would call out, “Good stop! Way to go!”Then one got past him. The other team scored.And those same teammates said something our boy couldn’t quite make out. I couldn’t tell, either. From the tone, however, he got the impression it was negative. Their cheers felt more like jeers.He shouted out, “I’m doing the best I can!”The others didn’t reply or acknowledge him, so he shouted even louder:”I SAID: I’M DOING THE BEST I CAN!”He returned to his spot to protect the goal with a furrowed brow.The game continued and he did fine.But I kept thinking about that moment, that heartfelt cry to the team:

I’m doing the best I can!

How many of us are feeling that we’ve done our best and yet let someone down? How many of us are longing for forgiveness or to be understood, appreciated, and accepted unconditionally when we drop the ball? I wonder if my boy—if all of us—are asking, Will you love me even though I messed up?My dear boy, the world will be fickle.When you stop the ball as goalie, the world will cheer—but don’t be surprised if they jeer when one gets through. As you experienced, your own team may indeed criticize you and tear you down. It’s sad, but it may have happened. It may happen again.Don’t be like the world.Cheer when another goalie on your team stops the ball, but be sure to encourage him if one slips through.Tell him what you wish you had heard. “It’s okay! You’re doing great! I know you’re doing your best!”Cheer for your teammates who score, even if they hogged the ball and kept you from having a chance. “Way to go! Good shot!”And here’s the thing: don’t let the world define your worth.Whether you’re doing your best or messing around. Whether you score or let the other team score. It’s not about your performance.You are loved.No matter what.

see below for alternative button

At Make-Do Mondays we discuss how we’re simplifying, downsizing, repurposing, buying used, and using what we’ve got.It’s a carnival celebrating creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. To participate, share your own make-do solution in the comments or write up a Make-Do Mondays post at your blog, then return here to link via Mr. Linky. Enjoy others’ ideas by clicking on Mr. Linky and then clicking on people’s names.Here’s a mini-tutorial on Mr. Linky:

Click on the icon and a separate page will pop up. Type in your blog name and paste in the url of your new Make-Do Mondays post. Click enter and it should be live. If it doesn’t work, just include the link in the comments.

To visit people’s posts or check that yours worked, click on Mr. Linky and when the page comes up, click on a name. You should be taken right to the page provided.

Make-Do Mondays with Ann ShariWhen I started Make-Do Mondays on December 29, 2009, (*Correction* that would be 2008) I began, “In this fragile economy, I thought it might be informative (and a little entertaining) to share all the ways we’re making-do.”And with that, I launched Make-Do Mondays: a carnival that I hoped would celebrate creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. I think it has—I hope it has! I hope readers and participants have enjoyed pondering how they can use what they’ve got on hand and sharing some of their clever solutions.As the year progressed, I began to realize that I was running low on ideas and eventually concluded that I would not be able to sustain the role as host.So last week I proposed letting someone else host Make-Do Mondays. If no one offered to take on the role as host, I was simply going to shut it down.However.Shari of My Practically Perfect Life stepped up to the plate! Make-Do Mondays lives on!Shari is a veritable make-do guru. You might enjoy browsing her collection of make-do solutions here.What this means is that I’ll pack up Make-Do Mondays into a duct-taped box and send it to its new home. This time next week I’ll provide the link to Shari’s first official post, where it will have been unpacked and arranged nicely in its new home base!I’ll still be making-do, since that’s in my basic nature, and when I manage to put together a Make-Do Mondays post, you’ll know where to find me.As a kind of book-end to my part in this, I thought I’d show you my make-do floss. Because the floss, you see—the broken floss container, that is—well, that’s what started it all.Please don’t tell my dentist how much is left.

Here at the Food on Fridays carnival, any post remotely related to food is welcome. Recipes are enjoyed, but you can write about your love of Twizzlers or type out a nursery rhyme that has food in it (I’m thinking of “Jack Sprat Shall Eat no Fat,” “Sing a Song of Sixpence” and “Hot Cross Buns,” for starters).In other words, the Food on Fridays parameters are not at all narrow. I think of it as a virtual pitch-in where everyone brings something to share; even if the content of one item is unrelated to the rest, we sample it all anyway and have a great time.When your Food on Fridays contribution is ready, just grab the broccoli button (the big one above or the new smaller option at the bottom) to paste at the top of your post and join us through Mr. Linky.Here’s a Mr. Linky tutorial:

Write up a post, publish, then return here and click on Mr. Linky below. A screen will pop up where you can type in your blog name and paste in the url to your own Food on Fridays post (give us the exact link to your Food on Fridays page, not just the link to your blog).You can also visit other people’s posts by clicking on Mr. Linky and then clicking participants’ names–you should be taken straight to their posts.Please note: I return when possible during the day and update this post by hand to include a list of the links provided via Mr. Linky. If I can’t get to the computer to do so, you may access them all by clicking on the Mister Linky logo.

Food on Fridays with AnnThe other day we forgot to buy veggie dip for a party, so I quickly assessed the basic ingredients available in the fridge, then headed to the computer. What dip recipe could I quickly whip together?I combined recipes and ended up with this curry dip.Do you like curry? If so, I urge you to try some version of this dip. It’s creamy-delicious and pretty, too.I had to act quickly to get to the party, so I’m not 100 percent sure what went into it. But here’s what I think I used, more or less:Hurried Curry Dip(no need for slow-down jokes, thankyouverymuch)1 cup mayo (I didn’t have sour cream or yogurt, but either could have been a nice addition/substitution)1 teaspoon curry1/4 teaspoon turmeric (I happened to have some, but it wouldn’t be necessary)1/4 t cayenne pepper (I had some kind of Spicy Pepper stuff that I shook in)2 tablespoons ketchup2 teaspoons lemon juice1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I must have left this out, because I don’t think I have any)2 dashes salt1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (I doubt I put that much in)Mix together, chill, and use as a vegetable dip; though I also thought it would be nice as a dip for fries or chicken fingers.

On Wednesdays you can visit me at High Calling Blogs, where I will be writing about family and parenting. I’ll also be recommending posts on those topics by writers in the High Calling Blog network.Today I invite you to step with me through the door to a parent’s heart.Visit High Calling Blogs: “Door to a Parent’s Heart“Photo by Ann Kroeker

see below for alternative button

At Make-Do Mondays we discuss how we’re simplifying, downsizing, repurposing, buying used, and using what we’ve got.It’s a carnival celebrating creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. To participate, share your own make-do solution in the comments or write up a Make-Do Mondays post at your blog, then return here to link via Mr. Linky. Enjoy others’ ideas by clicking on Mr. Linky and then clicking on people’s names.Here’s a mini-tutorial on Mr. Linky:

Click on the icon and a separate page will pop up. Type in your blog name and paste in the url of your new Make-Do Mondays post. Click enter and it should be live. If it doesn’t work, just include the link in the comments.

To visit people’s posts or check that yours worked, click on Mr. Linky and when the page comes up, click on a name. You should be taken right to the page provided.

Make-Do Mondays with Ann

I started thinking about the long-range goals for Make-Do Mondays a few weeks ago.

I started thinking, “You know, Works For Me Wednesday (WFMW) is sooooo similar to Make-Do Mondays. I wonder if I should just send people there and shut down Make-Do Mondays?”

If you haven’t seen WFMW, the emphasis is only slightly different. Many people linking to WFMW are sharing ideas that could be described as making-do. In fact, most of my own ideas would work just as well with WFMW, because in the end, both WFMW and Make-Do Mondays are all about great solutions.

However, I love encouraging a make-do mindset—a duct-tape, can-do attitude that encourages a person to get ingenious and be content with solutions that may not be cool or brand-new-shiny. But I’m nervous. Because, you see, I’m low on ideas these days and don’t think I can sustain the role as host.

So I’d like to open up the possibility of letting someone else host Make-Do Mondays. If you’re interested in taking on this carnival and running it from your site, please contact me via e-mail or in the comments.

If no one takes it on, I’ll invite readers and participants to migrate over to WFMW being hosted by We Are THAT Family. The information page for WFMW is HERE.

Regardless the future of Make-Do Mondays, you should visit WFMW to see all the ideas.

WHAT'S NEW

Disclaimer

Ann Kroeker is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Not every link leads to compensation, but assume that each one does.